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Burpee

Full Bodycompound

64

/100

moderate (0.52)
Decision Guide

Best when...

  • You feel stiff from sitting and want to undo desk posture quickly.
  • Your energy is dipping and you want a more activating break.
  • You only have about a minute between tasks or meetings.

Not ideal when...

  • You cannot leave your desk area or need something very office-subtle.
  • You want a nearly effortless reset that will not elevate breathing much.
  • You are in a crowded office or tight workspace.

Pairs well with...

a desk-friendly posture reset to round out the break

Better than X when...

Longer break routines when you only have 60 seconds and need immediate value.

Office-clothes alternative

Sit-to-Stand or Seated March are easier alternatives when office clothes or limited space make this awkward.

Movement Profile
Muscular Demand
81derived

Compound movement primarily engaging quadriceps, gluteals, pectorals

Metabolic Cost
89measured

MET 8 (measured), 2.3x walking

Mobility Value
77modeled

Joint ROM: 90%, posture benefit: 60%

Desk Practicality
10modeled

Requires open floor space

Muscle Activations

quadriceps

70%derived

gluteals

60%derived

pectorals

55%derived

deltoids

50%derived

triceps

45%derived

rectus abdominis

40%derived

hamstrings

35%derived

calves

30%derived
Energy Estimate
~4.9kcal

for 5 reps · roughly 1.1 min of brisk walking for a 70 kg person

Score by Rep Count

64

5 reps

64

10 reps

64

15 reps

64

20 reps

64

30 reps

“Burpee scores 64/100, driven by strong muscular demand. Needs open space.”

Caveats
  • Metabolic cost varies with body weight and fitness level
  • mobility value, desk practicality are estimated, not directly measured
  • Study populations may not represent sedentary desk workers
Data Provenance

Measured (1)

  • MET value

Derived (10)

  • quadriceps activation
  • gluteals activation
  • pectorals activation
  • deltoids activation
  • triceps activation
  • rectus abdominis activation
  • hamstrings activation
  • calves activation
  • joint ROM
  • caloric expenditure

Modeled (2)

  • posture correction
  • desk practicality
References

2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A Third Update of the Activity Codes and MET Values

Barbara E. Ainsworth, William L. Haskell, ... et al.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2024)

Primary source for MET values across all exercises

DOIFull Text

Estimating energy expenditure during bodyweight resistance exercise

Journal of Sports Sciences (2019)

MET values specific to bodyweight resistance exercises at various intensities

DOIFull Text